Art

The twentieth century witnessed the coming together of various interest groups for the purpose of advancing particular styles of furnishing. Understanding the needs of the homemakers became a difficult thing during the first half of the twentieth century. What the majority of consumers expected did not correspond with the notions of truth to materials, fitness of purpose, simple elegance and plain order that the majority of advisors had suggested. The establishment of modernist realism stood in contrast with this founded position. An idea that was particularly relevant to furniture design was the institution of order onto the chaos or confusion. Scandinavian design accompanied this establishment of modernist ideal.

Numerous studies have documented the contribution of Scandinavia to post-war design. The concept of Scandinavian design, a combination of modern design traditions of Iceland, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Sweden, was a strategic or construction alliance that effectively operated for the purpose of trade and public relations outside the concerned countries. The concept did not have much meaning within the individual countries since each had its own indigenous traditions and future trajectories. In this regard, the Scandinavian design is more of an external conception of regional alliance to sell and market products associated with a particular. The formation of the concept is associated with the exhibitions of the United States and Canada from 1954 to 1957. Its main purpose was to promote Scandinavian craft-based modern designs in these big economies. The exhibitions were organized by the participating countries heads of crafts and design organizations which included the presidents of the United States and Finland and the Kings of Sweden, Norway and Denmark. The exhibitions proved to be highly effective with regard to exposing Scandinavian material culture to the American public. It also unified a broad range of multifaceted material objects and established a new design brand that became highly influential internationally in the succeeding decades.

Ulf Hard af Segerstads book Scandinavian Design which was published in the 1961 is a clear testimony that the newly established design movement was based on crafts and defined by its belief in the human hand to change natural materials into objects of democracy and integrity (Ulf Hard, 1961).  The movement sent a clear and appealing message to a world that had come to accept the reality of the concept of mass production, mass consumption and the effects of advanced technologies. The possibility of integrating traditional values with the image of modernity was brought about by Scandinavian design. The artisans and designers of Scandinavia throughout the 1950s exhibited their work in various important international venues which included the Milan Triennials (Carr, 2005).

The exhibitions were dominated by furniture and domestic items with a large percentage either originating from Scandinavia or showing a heavy influence by Scandinavian craft-based aesthetic. A description of how Scandinavian furniture design was branded and the images that were used in this regard is important in understanding Scandinavian designs. The dependence by the line promoters on a carefully developed identity had far reaching impacts. It has been argued that Scandinavian craftsmen were prevented from seizing opportunities by the weight of tradition However, this view is not convincing. Apart from maintaining its international image, Scandinavian business has kept pace with the time by holding that its specific version of mass production method an extension of the traditional high quality craftsmanship (Charlotte  Peter, 2009). Scandinavian products, including furniture, have therefore thrived with a substitution of a logical emergence of older versions and are therefore not divorced from the economic realities that characterized the period after the 1960s.

This paper is an attempt to trace the development of Scandinavian furniture design and its expansion after the Second World War. It particularly looks at the various dimensions of the furniture design including the prominent Scandinavian designers and their major works, the current use of the famous designs, the production and marketing of the designs particularly with regard to Ikea, the basic materials used in these designs, the influence of the furniture designs today, major exhibitions, mass production and its impacts on the designs and the popularity of the designs. The paper will also consider the current trends in furniture market and the place of Scandinavian designs in this expansive market.

During the twentieth century, massive political, social and technological changes took place which invariably changed the way furniture was designed and manufactured. Influential art movements entangled furniture design. These included the American Shakers tradition, the German Bauhaus and the Netherlands De Stijl. Artists, architects, designer makers and commercial designers developed furniture designs from the new technologies and materials that they could find during this century (Carr, 2005). The chair, more than any other form, became associated with modernism, achieving the status of classic in some instances and ensuring and securing its place as the greatest legacy of furniture of the twentieth century (Carr, 2005).

A single largest revolution in chair design was witnessed in Europe during the twenties with the employment of tubular steel to create the cantilever chair with its two supports. This was created by Mies van der Rohe in 1927 and during the nineteen thirties Alvar Aalto created another piece by joining the metallic hardness with the laminated plywood which is a softer and warmer material (Charlotte  Peter, 2009). Aalto used this combination to construct his Bench thereby pioneering a new modern style which maintained metals curves and simplicity. The impeccable stylish lines of tubular steel and laminated wood became substitutable with International Modernism which mirrored the principle of functionalism and the aesthetic principle that less is more.
       
Within all these developments, Scandinavia design stood out. During the nineteen fifties and sixties, an international reputation was earned by Scandinavian countries for their furniture which remarkably influenced global trends. It was during this period that Arne Jacobsen, a Danish designer, won the laurels of the most successful mass-produced chair. However, the best characterization of Danish furniture is provided by Hans Wegner. Wegner made numerous chairs that were very indicative of Scandinavian design. The infamous Bear chair was made by Wegner through handcrafting chair frames into sculptural forms with canted angles and gentle curves.
                                                                 
The quality of construction and materials used became a fundamental composition of the forms aesthetic pleasure. In order to enhance the inherent beauty of wood, he finished favored timbers of oak and teak with natural wax or soft oil polish. The quality of the Scandinavian furniture made it a favorite all over the globe. They were also made readily available.

Many countries were influenced by Scandinavian design. The design became associated with quality and designers all over the globe considered the designs in their productions. The influence of Scandinavian style reached Australia with Australian manufacturing companies incorporating the handcrafted appeal into their own solid wood furniture. The introduction of multi-spindle lathes implied that the hand crafted could be mechanically created for repetitive productions.

The prominence of Scandinavian design was achieved during the 1950s and 1960s. The prominence was as a result of newly designed furniture during the period and those new pieces of furniture gained attention when they were designed hence gained international recognition and wide acceptance compared to when Scandinavian furniture were previously designed during the 1930s (Carr, 2005). In the recent past, open-minded bourgeoisie cultivation finds its expression in silver from Copenhagen and glass and ceramics by the Finnish firms litala and Arabia (Hauffe, 1998). This aspect itself suggests the level of prominence that Scandinavian designs have achieved. During the 1951 Milan Triennale, the majority of prizes were won by Finnish products which further reiterate the splendor of the designs.

One may be compelled to ask the particular element or elements that made Scandinavian designs to stand out. The answer lies in the methods of production that were used in this region. The handcraft tradition was still eminent in Scandinavian furniture making even after the Second World War owing to the fact that Scandinavian countries experienced late industrialization as compared to other countries like Britain, Germany and the United States. Wood had served as the basic building material of northern Europe. However, new methods of layering are being used today and organic forms are created besides the local birch and pine worked by the old technique. This integration of materials and the resultant products established a unique design. The creativity and innovativeness of Scandinavian designers also made much contribution. After the Second World War, the tone was set by Danish furniture designers. Prior to the war, organic forms had been arrived at by Kaare Klint. These were founded on a study of human proportions. Klint offered a model for the younger generation of designers.

The chair that was constructed by Hans J. Wegner became the symbol of Scandinavian seating. The chair, called JH 501, later came to be referred to as The Chair. It combined uncompromising seating comfort with transitions organically flowing from the back to the armrests up to the legs. It was made of teak with a very simple form and a woven seat. The main European importer of teak was Denmark. After the Indochinese War, teak emerged on the world market in great quantities. The taste for teak also picked up in Germany where light and practical Danish furniture complemented the often cramped living quarters in a way better than could be provided by the German market. The Scandinavian design, with its simple, bright and welcoming atmosphere, conveyed a democratic and humane comprehension that underlay it. It was a reflection of the Swedish society which became a model social state after the Second World War. Scandinavian design was common in apartments and houses of enlightened middles class individuals. An authentic teak wave resulted in numerous cheap imitations of Danish and Scandinavian furniture in the succeeding years.

With the adoption of new industrial production methods and materials after the Second World War, there arose an interesting link between tradition and progress in Denmark. The furniture became modern and comfortably homey which was the major reason behind the worldwide success of Scandinavian furnishings. It integrated the international style with a skilled craft tradition under the circumstances of industrial production. Charles Eames, like Arne Jacobsen of the United States of America, combined plywood bowl forms with steel tubing frames. He designed the first Danish mass produced chair which was referred to as Ameise.

In many ways, the Danish designer Verner Panton showed much outside influence than Danish influence. In this regard, he was like an outsider among Scandinavian designers. He was interested in what was going on in Italy and the United States. He preferred to work with steel wire and colorful plastics more than wood. He became a leading figure in design during the 1960s and 1970s owing to his use of such materials. His ice cream cone chair named V-Chair 8800 which was designed for Fritz Hansens firm during the late 1950s became a classic.

Scandinavian furniture in Britain            
From the 1950s onwards, Scandinavian furniture became highly regarded in Britain. During this post-war period there was boost in international acceptance of Scandinavian furniture and this captured the popular imagination and created a lasting impression on the minds of the customers during this period. There was a rise in the Scandinavian furniture market. This can be attributed to the fact that majority of the company dealing with the importation of such kind of furniture develop during the post war era, although there are documentations that the largest importers of Scandinavian furniture had been established prior to the war era but later restarted after the interruption caused by the war (Davies, 1997).

 The furniture was well designed, well made and modern. It particularly strongly appealed to British middle class homes and was conceived as a statement of good taste. The extolment of Scandinavian furniture was guaranteed when Hans Wegner Round Chair was chosen by an American television company for a presidential debate during in the 1960.

 The simplicity of the Scandinavian furniture appealed to many people during the 1950s even though it was the high finishing standards that made them preferable to locally made products. During this time, Scandinavian furniture was made from teak which was exotic to Britain during the fifties except for its use in kitchen fitting and in garden furniture. The Scandinavian furniture sharply contrasted with the British furniture which was highly polished. Instead of high polish, the Scandinavian furniture was oiled manually and had satin finishing. During this period, businesses of importers of Scandinavian furniture rose more than double. Retail giants in Britain set up links with various Scandinavian manufacturers. Some British manufacturers were already making Scandinavian style designs by the late 1950s. A Younger Ltd was among the first British firms to make teak furniture. Scandinavian style furniture was also made by top British manufacturer Archie shine. One of the products made by Robert Heritage under the firm worn a design award in 1958. It was a sideboard named Hamilton

Teak furniture was introduced by Hille in 1960. In the same year, Gimson and Slater introduced a new dining room suite made of rosewood which was a popular wood for the very best of Scandinavian furniture. The design was sold for three-hundred and sixty pounds, almost six-thousand pounds in the current currency value. Furniture made by these firms was the best during this period. It was high in quality and was very expensive.

The Scandinavian style was soon adopted by the mass market makers just like with the contemporary makers during the 1950s. Among the trailblazers of mass-market of Scandinavian style in Britain were the same companies that had championed early contemporary design. A new design was unveiled by A H McIntosh in 1959. This new sideboard teak veneer design known as the Dunvegan later came to be among the best-selling designs. The design was very simple with wooden handles that were scallop shaped. It stood at 6 foot 3 inches and was by any standard imposing.

British Design Council played several roles in post-war acceptance and modifications of Scandinavian furniture in UK. This influence can be attributed to concern of the British government to manage the few available resources left after the war. During this period of importation of Scandinavian furniture there was an increase tendency by the British design council to control the quality of Scandinavian furniture being imported into UK. They formulate laws that will stimulate the production of furniture with British look (Guardian News, 1967). This improvement in design was aimed at change and encouragement of fresh perception and invention as regards to Scandinavian furniture.

Another British company, E Gomme was unusually slow in its adoption of teak furniture fashion. However, it adopted the Scandinavian style in 1962 due to market dictates. In a move to stop losing its sales to imports from Scandinavia, the firm hired a Danish designer, Ib Kofod-Larsen to design G-Plan Danish which was a new range.Scandinavian designers began shifting away from teak about 1962 even though the wood was mainly associated with Scandinavian furniture. As an alternative to teak, Scandinavian furniture makers tried to make furniture using light oak. Unfortunately, it did not have a large market base. They then experimented with rosewood. Just like teak, the timber has a unique grain pattern and could not be easily matched. Finding veneer with a corresponding pattern was even more difficult. However, rosewood performed very well in the market, maintaining the top for some time. Manufactures who did not have vast resources could not copy since it marked a statement of exclusivity. Rosewood was extremely expensive even with its status at the top end of the market. Beside, not everyone liked the dark color. There were some top British companies that braced to reject teak. However, the early years of 1960s only marked the beginning of adoration for teak and Scandinavian style which was to last for two more decades. The Scandinavian style remained a favorite for the British people throughout the following decade.

Klint School and the Development of Scandinavian Furniture Design      
A new school of Danish furniture design was launched by Kaare Klint during the 1930s. Klints designs showed much influence from American Shaker tradition and German Bauhaus school. He did not however adhere to the strict standards of these philosophies whose basic principle was that form was to correspond with function. Nevertheless, Klint adopted a similar artistic idiom with that of functionalists. The young designers who worked with him were forced to be together out of necessity as they were struggling to meet customer preferences during the time. Wealthy individuals preferred living rooms with heavy period furniture while the lower end buyers simulated the established style with relatively cheaper pieces. Factories, furniture shops and cabinetmakers provided for clients with traditional tastes that were not willing to experiment when it came to furnishing their homes.To forestall traditions stranglehold, some progressive furniture makers, modern designers, and manufacturers formed an alliance during the 1930s and started producing alternative furniture designs. By the end of the decade, they were available to a more receptive public. After the Second World War, the economic growth experienced in Denmark and the increased global trade made it possible for Scandinavian style to become an international brand. The designs flourished in Europe and in the United States. There was expanded sales as the work of craftsmen were promoted by manufacturers through exhibitions, show room facilities and museum displays supported by friendly reviews both at road and at home.Even though a small number of designers realized international status, the less known designers also make much contribution to the talent pool. The peak of Scandinavian style was realized between 1945 and 1960. However, the popularity reduced due to the failure of the craftsmen to renew the line. As time passed, some most classical pieces have been introduced into the high end market and Scandinavian style continued to exert its influence in mass market products such as the furniture that are globally distributed by the Swedish company Ikea. Scandinavian craftsmen who incorporated the spirit of modernism early on experienced a period of usurious profits and acclaim even though they were finally overtaken by mechanization.

The designs that were produced by Klints school embodied true modernism. As people came to appreciate the new design, its functional meaning became overtaken by its fashionable status. The lines modern design appealed to the consumers mainly because they desired to gather cultural capital by putting display good taste. The brand identity of Scandinavian furniture also rested on the concept of craftsmanship, identifiably the handmade wooden furniture tradition. An idea of a coalition between skilled hands and clever minds was promoted by advertisers. As such, they advocated for an alliance between modernity and a compatible Scandinavian tradition. This helped in improving sales apart from facilitating the formation of a network of manufacturers, craftsmen and designers that saw the Scandinavian style through a period of success.

However, it soon limited development and became the means that fastened the decline of the line. Creative and innovative designers were restricted from using any other material apart from wood. Cabinetmakers stuck to the original legend which prevented them from modernizing. They also failed to acknowledge the authenticity of furniture makers who diverged in other directions. The cost of such labor intensive approach to the development of a product was rejected by large scale manufacturers who instead resorted to preselected designs in order to maintain the flow of money.

IKEA and the Promotion of Scandinavian Designs
IKEA Company is perhaps the most successful multiple-superstore operation. The company originated in Sweden during the 1950s and expanded to become a worldwide retailing force after deciding to concentrate on self-assembly furniture. It is basically involved with selling Scandinavian designs manufactured in Scandinavia or Eastern Europe. This is does through showrooms and catalogues with the catalogue being the major promotional tool. Every year, more than 44 million catalogues are printed in various languages. Based on the proposition that the company can make an important contribution to the process of democratization both at home and abroad, the aim of the company is to provide value for money, founded on the premise that whatever is good for the customer is good for the company (Lee, 2007). The company was operating more than hundred stores in 1993 in twenty four countries. Five of these were situated in Britain. IKEA is probably the worlds largest furniture retailer which boasts of 20000 employees and sales of about 2.2 billion pounds. The company produces furnishings that appeal to all social classes, a move away from the warehouse concept of piling it high. It has a vast collection of furnishings which range from basic essential to sensible copies of fashionable ideas. However, this is reinforced by the ideas sold together with the goods.
Currently, manufacturing industry is going through a major change that is taking traditional standard product manufacturing into a universe of product variety. The majority of manufactured products are still standardized despite the various replications. For manufacturers like IKEA, there is some element of complexity exhibited by ready to assembly furniture when it comes to features of this particular product. IKEA provides a wide range of products with a corresponding huge and diverse part population. Again, the fashion nature of the sale of furniture establishes the pressure of introducing new product offerings and redesigns frequently.

There is also some degree of competitive pressures to minimize lead-times to ensure effective delivery to customers. While Scandinavian designs have benefited from IKEA with regard to promotion, IKEA has also benefited from the designs owing to their variation and uniqueness which makes the brand popular with the customers.The possibility of exploring various types of furniture variation has been in focus over the past few years within the industrial design practice. The one-off furniture still poses some problems besides being unaffordable to the majority within the circumstances of mass production. Owing to the fact that furniture has to be produced in mass, the outcome of variation often results in replications that make the nature of uniqueness obsolete. Many Scandinavian designers are now capable of mass producing limited edition furniture or one-offs using technology. It raises the question of the quality of craft and establishes the non-serial artifact.

The modular design approach in furniture industry makes it possible for a variety of products to be produced by mass-produced standard modules. A large percentage of office and storage furniture product group are founded on system concept which is a dimensional system and a unit assembly approach that allows modular grouping (Lund, 2010). This approach has been adapted to some degree by Scandinavian manufacturers even though the element of distinctiveness has not escaped from the designs. The standardization has been challenged with critics advocating for the insertion of randomness into the industrial process for unique furniture to be produced.Mass Production

Buying behavior is not a simple issue. Customers often take time to make decisions when dealing with durable goods. They compare numerous relevant circumstances which establish divergent value proportion. Both retailers and manufactures often face a similar reality that buyers look for similar product alternatives and therefore the need to present a wide range of products that suit the needs of the customers.

Furthermore, the problems faced by manufacturers are associated with the proliferation of the product and overstock production since markets that are mature often demand more choices.In a stable business environment whereby the supply is more powerful than demand such as witnessed during the 1950s and 1960s for Scandinavian furniture, mass production becomes successful. The paradigm of mass customization can be seen as a reaction by industries to the high fluidity of the competitive environment. The evolution of mass production to mass customization in industrialized nations lasted for some decades that can be traced to market dominated period when firms began striving for lean manufactory (Lund, 2010).Like several other sectors, the furniture industry is faced with contrasting challenges owing to the fact that there is need to minimize cost, maintain very high standards of quality and serve faraway markets as well as close markets. This however becomes difficult owing to the need for standardization and mass production.

Everything was customized in the handicraft industry. However, the industrial era brought with it market maturity which in turn led to customers getting bored of standard products that are meant to serve the majority. The evolution of the market also brought about the progressive change from the possibility to forecast the needs of the customer and behavior to a situation of extreme variety and variability of behavior and needs. Within this kind of competitive environment, firms face serious problems emanating from the traditional model of production closely associated with make-to-stock production systems.It has been recognized that the provision of product availability and satisfying the needs of the customers require mass production. However, mass production and customization is just one among various options that are available for companies and firms that are seeking a competitive advantage. Firms that provide mass production and customizations services do not have to abandon the provision of standardized products. In fact, they can incorporate both. The functions of a company should be engaged with the processes of production and customization which is linked to three major roles. These roles are production, marketing and design.

Within the fluid contemporary economy environment, with complete competition and increasing power of consumer demands, firms are faced with challenges that the customers are no longer contented with standard solutions and therefore need more individual products at reasonable prices. In this regard, mass production need to be complemented by mass customization which has been defined as a process through which companies employ technology to offer product variety and customization through flexibility. The purpose of mass customization is to produce sufficient variety in products so that almost every person gets what he or she requires at reasonable price. Mass customization depends on the design of the product, its configuration, the processes of production and supply chain operations.Exhibition of Scandinavian Designs                 Scandinavian designs have dominated exhibitions from pre-war periods. The 1930 Stockholm Exhibition featured both architecture and furniture. It had an underlying political agenda that sought to promote socialist reform. In this regard, the trade fair featured radical industrial designs. The radical functional furniture design was compared and likened to the radical functional social design. Included in the exhibition were industrial architectural designs and a model of workers apartments that had mass produced furniture made from industrial materials. In this exhibition, Scandinavian designs became distinct.The Scandinavian exhibition design promoted an integrated and regionally influenced aesthetic. In this regard, anything that was external to this idea was out of place. The included works were heavily styled and an exclusive version of the current ideas so as to correspond with the criteria of the organized desired unified aesthetic. Works that were seen not to be Scandinavian were excluded. As a consequence of Scandinavian design paradigm, various literatures have been formative in advancing a specific representation of what should pass as Scandinavian design construct.

The Scandinavian Furniture Fair that was held in Copenhagen in May 2002 showcased various Scandinavian and international designs which showed how designs have evolved over the decades. More than 302 exhibitors registered at the Fair. More than 251 exhibitors were from the Scandinavian countries while the rest were from abroad. Some of the major categories of the Scandinavian Furniture Fair were design furniture, office furniture and contract furniture. The manufacturers of design furniture that took part in the fair included Fredericia furniture, Louis Poulsen, Fritz Hansen among others. The exhibitors of office furniture on the other hand included Kinnarps, SIS, and System B8 among others.Furniture producers presented their ideas which were generally not far much divorced from the functionalist orientation. Their ideas can be best described as contemporary. This style can be traced back to the 1950s when new design ideas ballooned. Contemporary style within the context of furniture and structure denotes the planes and surfaces that are in most cases of organic shapes, with simple bases, mostly metal rods. The bulk of products that were exhibited during this Fair indicated an adherence to this style. While contemporary designs of the 60s showed chairs of every kind displaying legs that appeared and angled inwards, the furniture that were exhibited during the 2002 Scandinavian furniture Fair.
                         
FAMOUS SCANDINAVIAN PIECES
The Chair by Hans WegnerAccording to Hans J. Wegner, a chair should last for more than fifty years. The perfect expression of this view is his iconic The chair. Wegner was in the habit of not naming chairs. Instead of naming, he numbered his chairs according to how the sequence they were constructed. His first chair was called number 1, the second number 2, and the third number 3 and so on. During his career, Wegner constructed more than five hundred chairs. Some of the chairs were named by producers. In 1949, Wegners number 501 was exhibited. A year later, a United States magazine called Interiors had a picture of the chair on its cover, describing it as the most beautiful chair in the world (Decopedia, 2010)
               
The impeccable wood design was stripped to its bare essentials with a sculptural semicircle placed on four tapered legs. Cane or leather seat was suspended between the four tapered legs. The empty space that separated the seat from the back provided the chair with quality and economy of form that offers greater comfort.The chair that was designed more than fifty years still looks modern and classic in every sense. Its simplicity and elegance still makes it stand out among others.                                    

The Panton Chair by Verner PantonVerner Panton was among the most influential designers during the 1960s and 1970s. He is well known for his imaginative and original furniture designs. One of his famous pieces is the Panton chair which has won numerous design prizes worldwide. The design embellishes the collections of many renowned museums. The expressive shape of the design makes it a design icon of all time. The Panton chair has been childrens favorite. This owes to its cheerful, bright colors combined with the pleasant gentle curves. In this regard, it serves as both a seat and a toy. The idea of producing a version for children was pursued by Panton earlier. The intention failed more than three decades ago owing to economic reasons even though it soon came to be a reality. Original plans were used to produce a variation of the Panton chair, the Panton Junior. Its proportion and material was unaltered even though it is circa a quarter smaller than the regular model (Alibaba.com, 2010). There are seven different colors of this design and is therefore an ideal chair for young children in kindergarten and primary.The Panton chair can be best described as a furniture design classic. It was created in 1960. With the help of Vitra, a version was developed which was ready for production in 1967. This chair was the first complete plastic chair made from developed from a single section. The chair has gone through several production phases since its market launch. It was not possible then to produce the chair as Panton had originally pictured it. In other words, it could not be produced from a consistently dyed, tough plastic with a matt surface.The chair provides maximum seating comfort owing to its cantilever base, combined with its shape and flexible material. It is thus designed with the human body in mind. The chair can be used in solitary or in groups, both indoor and outdoor. The Panton chair is a solid plastic chair that has been made in a single mold. It is made of fiberglass that has been reinforced with a dyed through polypropylene. The chair is produced using injection molding. In order to slow down the fading processes that result from exposure to ultraviolent rays, special additives are used. The color of the chair can however change when it is exposed to the sun for a long period of time. It is thus recommended that the chair should not be exposed to the sun for linger than it is necessary.
                       
Conclusion
Design has is one of the fields that has grown with regard to economic presence and import of culture. Design has not only been integral to mass production but also forms an important part of material culture. Besides, it exerts much influence on the choices and behavior regarding mass consumption. Scandinavian designs have especially proven to be of much influence in this regard.Scandinavian design has emerged to be the standard in modern households owing to the rising green movements popularity. It is also a representation of simplicity in a complex world. The trend surfaced during the 1950s and only recently emerged as a necessary commodity of modern simplicity. Various factors have contributed to the attainment of this elevated status by Scandinavian design. Such include the creativity and innovativeness of the designers, production techniques, marketing models and general functionality of the designs. From a marketing perspective, Scandinavian designs have managed to overcome the contradiction that exist between tension towards standardization the tension towards fast change as a foundation for adequate response to the emerging market needs. The Scandinavian design industry has managed to solve the contradictions by adopting different organizational paradigm while at the same time integrating the traditional handcraft techniques with modern production techniques. It has since emerged to be a representation of a new world order of distinct simplicity which integrates both form and function in a newly emerging environment.The Scandinavian designs have replicated the various art movements including the American Shaker tradition and the German Bauhaus movement which integrate much of the same values. The Scandinavian designers attempted to establish a new sense of order and harmony during the early years of the twentieth century. The most prominent characteristic of this school was the lack of ornamentation. Instead the artist turned to rational and functional designs.

This consisted of denouncing various other forms of art of the time which were seen to be very complicated. The new mass-produced consumerism that emerged during the time with the subsequent entrance of less expensive functional consumer goods is what the Scandinavian movement attempted to capture in their production. They held simplicity to be critical in the realization of this goal. The modern Scandinavian design integrated art, craft and technology through their production and therefore led Scandinavia into a modern order of world art. The similarity between modern Scandinavian design and the Bauhaus culture is the way the manner that they endeavored to base their productions solely on form and harmonious order instead of decoration and ornamentation.The Scandinavian designs represent simplicity in a world characterized by much complexity. The boom that the Scandinavian design has experienced over the past decades is not without the influence of the open global market and the integration of various international cultures and traditions. This has since witnessed the integration of various foreign designs into countries like the United States and Britain which are often in the constant search for new fields of simplicity. Scandinavian design has also been promoted by the popularity of IKEA which has distributed simplistic Scandinavian designs in numerous countries. IKEA is particularly accredited with the introduction of eco-friendly movement in countries such as the United States. The popularity of Scandinavian designs is eminent in the western world and has since promoted the green movement.The network of agencies that operated in Scandinavia during the 1950s chose and arranged the items that dictated to a greater extent how design from the region is viewed today. These items which were included in the exhibitions share in their simplicity of form. However, what these designs communicated was indicative of individualism, complexity, contrast and contradiction.